I am designing a system or product to improve our treatments and storage.

[Taylor Hayes]

Hey guys,

If you didn't see my last post my names Hayes I'm 23 and have CF and I attend SCAD for Industrial Design.

For my senior project I want to design something to help us out with our daily routines.

I have taken most of the information that you guys have helped gather and I came up with some questions that should cover most of what I need to know to pinpoint the design of an effective system to help improve our interaction and productivity with our treatments and medication.

I am not focusing on any product at the moment. Right now i'm taking a broad approach to the design and then i will narrow it down after i have found the needs of us CFers.

If you could be so kind to help me out by answering a few questions?

If you have CF or care for someone who has CF please answer the following.

1. Do you have CF?
- When were you diagnosed?
2. Are you on inhaled meds?
- If yes, which ones?
3. How long does it take to do full treatment?
4. How many times a day do you do it?
5. Do you use the vest or acapella?
- Which brand and version of vest do you have?
6. Which neb machine do you have?
7. How many oral med bottles do you have roughly?
8. How do you store your vest and neb machine now?
9. Where do you usually do your treatments?
10. Do you change location of treatments often?
11. Do you travel a lot?
12. How do you transport all treatments/meds?
13. How do you clean your nebs?
- Where do you dry them?
- Where do you store them?
14. Do you hide treatments when guest are over?
15. Do you have a G tube?
16. How could doing your treatments/meds be improved?
- What would make it easier for you to do your treatments?
17. Do you have any problems with how you do your treatment or store them now?
18. Any other suggestions or comments?

Thank you so much guys! I will keep you all posted throughout the design process. I'm gonna run a few concepts by you guys as I come up with them.

Thanks again.

UPDATE!!!!!

MY FINAL DESIGN:

I have lost my presentation due to my computer crashing but I snapped some pics of it in my room today. Once I retrieve the final I will post it up here.

http://imgur.com/a/GQzev

I wanted to design something that we could be proud of. I wanted it to stand out when you walk into a room. I wanted the design to be a warm natural object that drew the eye. Something unique because the current systems that all of us use are already streamlined. So how could I add something into this system to help make everyone system a little easier and more pleasurable.


The basic design ideas are the following.

1. Pivot top that pivots over bed allowing you to have a hard surface right in front of you to place meds, etc.
-The pivot also allows easy access to the top of the storage bags.
-Three point directional locking angles.
2. The storage bags are a unique way to store meds and treatments that is esthetically warm and welcoming.
-The bags are hammock inspired.
-Some people wonder about the capacity of the bags. I ask them if you have ever seen a women's purse? Its amazing how much those things can hold. They are very deceiving to the eye. Which over all contributes to the unique look of the side table.
-The bags are also detachable. They have a hidden zipper with a hidden strap. Once detached they are easily transformed into a traveling bag. All you have to do is revele to hidden straps. Snap ends together and secure meds inside by zipping the bag up and you are good to go. Throw over shoulder or toss in suitcase.
-Color coordinated so easy organization of med times, neb storage, inhaled meds, etc.
-The bags are also a natural sound damping material. When I set me nebulizer machine on a solid table it makes all sorts of ruckus and bounces around everywhere. The bag design keeps it in one place and makes it so much more quite its unbelievable.
3. Quality build materials.
-Natural walnut top with natural Danish oil finish.
-Recycled solid steel frame.
-Repurposed fabric sewn bags.
-Solid mill turned steel pivot point with x2 2" sealed bearing.
-Pressure fitted and bolted assembly.

I have been using it ever since I have finished it and it is a blessing! It makes my mornings and nights so much easier and pleasurable.

I am wanted to start selling them once my website is finished. I hope to come up with a few different color selections and material options to cut down the price of manufacturing.

This started out designing something fort us cystic fibrosis patients but truly opened up for not only us but anyone! It could aid in organization of not only meds for patients of all sorts of disabilities but everyday use of storage and travel of personal items.

Let me know what you guys think! I'm open to opinions and suggestions. Now that I have graduated I hope to start my own build and design company.

Would anyone be interested?

Thanks again guys? I could have not of done it without you guys!

PS the bags in my "prototype" do not detach. When I start manufacturing these I will have a professional hand make the bags!

 

[Taylor Hayes]

Help me out guys I know no body likes taking surveys but this could potentially help all of us out.

 

[KristenLilysMom]

1. Do you have CF? My daughter who is nearly 3 does
- When were you diagnosed? June 2011 at 3 weeks old through the Newborn Screening Test
2. Are you on inhaled meds? Yes
- If yes, which ones? Pulmazyme, TOBI, 5% Saline
3. How long does it take to do full treatment? 45 mins of meds plus 15 - 20 mins chest PT
4. How many times a day do you do it? twice a day
5. Do you use the vest or acapella? No
- Which brand and version of vest do you have?
6. Which neb machine do you have? Pari Vios
7. How many oral med bottles do you have roughly? 5 - more if on antibiotics
8. How do you store your vest and neb machine now? On a table beside the couch
9. Where do you usually do your treatments? On the living room couch
10. Do you change location of treatments often? No - unless we are away from home
11. Do you travel a lot? Yes - away most weekends in the summer at the cottage
12. How do you transport all treatments/meds? Meds in a lunch bag cause the nebs have to stay cold. And shove everything else into various other bags.
13. How do you clean your nebs? Soap and water with a vinegar soak
- Where do you dry them? On the kitchen counter on paper towel
- Where do you store them? On the kitchen counter
14. Do you hide treatments when guest are over? Nope
15. Do you have a G tube? Yes - with feed pump and pole
16. How could doing your treatments/meds be improved? Faster neb times
- What would make it easier for you to do your treatment? It is what it is
17. Do you have any problems with how you do your treatment or store them now? I wish there was a dedicated, yet attractive storage table to leave everything in that won't rattle when the neb is on. Something for the kitchen counter would be great so the kitchen doesn't look like it could double as a hospital with all the drugs, syringes, neb cups etc. This stuff gets used to frequently to put it away after every use.
18. Any other suggestions or comments? Please please invent something!!

Interesting project, good luck!

 

[LittleLab4CF]

Keep building your specifications. This is a great step. Maybe post something similar, asking for complaints or problems. Addressing a number of complaints in a product is key to the concept. Searching through the site archives could hold some great ideas. When I suggested a UV sterilization chamber last time, the genesis of that idea came from a constant need for a reliable and convenient way to sterilize nebulizer parts and such. I have a lab hence an autoclave but most people end up using the kitchen. I'm not knocking kitchens, they are typically clean or cleanable surfaces and wet cleaning is an expensive feature especially for your treatment stand.

Complaints are gold for invention and innovation. When you have a couple patents the more esoteric qualities and characteristics of an invention becomes clear but most valuable patents address a complaint.

Storage and built-in features as a type of CF service module, defines what you suggested as an opener. I'd love to have a bed stand that hides all my CF paraphernalia, namely my nebulizer, hoses, and compressor and my meds. I'm a little horrified when I see a dresser top dedicated to the 20 or so medicines, supplements and OTC drugs in a Sick Room. It would be great to store the large bottles on a lazy Susan or such that is easy to refill a pill caddy. More to the point, hide the Sick Room effect in your design. I hide my 20 or so bottles of meds in a glorified shoe box. I take each bottle, fill my pill caddy and place the bottle into the inverted lid. This way I don't miss or double a dose. Maybe divide your lazy Susan or think of a novel way to store and facilitate pillage.

LL

If you plan to prototype your design, even though Solidworks is so virtual, the only unknown is a customer evaluation, consider using an industrial prototype system like 8020. The company "8020" is one of a few companies that try to offer aluminium extrusions, corner blocks and such in several scales. Recent popularity of 3D printers like Maker Bot are using an off the shelf industrial prototyping extrusions. I used 8020 extrusions and hardware to make adjustable mounts for flexible automation systems, safety enclosures for the automation plus some bases, benches and display cases. Just an idea. As a note, I no longer maintain a Solidworks license but I have access.

 

[Hopeandlove]

Hi Taylor,

My husband has cf and was diagnosed at 3 m old. He is on Tobi cayston pulmozyne hypertonic saline and alternates these every other month. He does the vest twice a day for 30 mins at a time and acapella every now and then. It depends in what inhaler he is doing but it usually takes 20-40 mins a day. He has the hill rom vest and pro neb machine. He does treatments in family room while watching tv. We don't travel that much but if we do he uses a book bag to fill meds and a cooler. The vest comes with a nice bag. It would be nice if there was a travel bag for all of it. he is always worried about bringing things on a plane bc he doesnt want to check the bags with these incase it would get lost. We clean them in soapy water and let them air dry next to sink on a paper towel. Sometimes I will boil them or put them in our baby sterilizer in microwave. They take up a huge section in our kitchen with different plastic bins labeled with the names of inhaler meds. No we don't hide them. There are always some out from cleaning them. No g tube. Not sure ab ways of being easier. If the vest was less time that would be great but he's so used to doing it. The inhaler meds keep getting better now with the Tobi pod haler and cayston. Those don't take much time. it would be really nice if there was a better way to store everything rather than random Tupperware bins filling our cabinets and vest and inhaler taking up lots of room and our kids always playing with it, but it works for us. Thanks for trying to make something and look forward to seeing what you come up with!

 

[stephen]

A suggestion for storing and using nebulizer compressors.

Convenience can play a big role in ensuring treatment compliance.

I have nebulizer compressors in three different rooms. Two of them are kept inside night/end tables. I drilled holes in the backs to bring out the line cords, and holes in the sides to bring out the nebulizer hoses.

The hoses are kept inside for storage with only the ends protruding. They pull out for use and are pushed back inside for storage.

The compressors are plugged into wireless remote AC switches, with the remote controls kept on the table tops.

I don’t have to open the cabinets to use the nebulizers, and they are out of site. It’s great for the one by my bed and the one in the den.

My Vest is also kept inside a cabinet, with the line cord coming out the back. Obviously the cabinet bust be opened to access and control it, but when not in use it’s out of site.

 

[pipersmom]

1. Do you have CF? My 12 yr old daughter has CF.
- When were you diagnosed? At 4 months old.
2. Are you on inhaled meds? Yes.
- If yes, which ones? Duoneb, pulmozyme, hypertonic saline, budesonide, alternates colistin and gentamycin.
3. How long does it take to do full treatment? About an hr.
4. How many times a day do you do it? 2-3 times a day depending on her health.
5. Do you use the vest or acapella? Vest
- Which brand and version of vest do you have? Respirtech InCourage
6. Which neb machine do you have? EasyAir 15 (50 psi compressor)
7. How many oral med bottles do you have roughly? 15
8. How do you store your vest and neb machine now? The vest and compressor aren't stored at all, they're beside her bed.
9. Where do you usually do your treatments? Her bedroom.
10. Do you change location of treatments often? Very occasionally due to the hassle.
11. Do you travel a lot? Again, occasionally, maybe 4-5 times per year.
12. How do you transport all treatments/meds? Her vest has a travel bag, everything else goes into totes.
13. How do you clean your nebs? Boiling or baby bottle sterilizer.
- Where do you dry them? Next to the sink.
- Where do you store them? In a 4 drawer sterlite cabinet that holds all her medical stuff. She also has port supplies.
14. Do you hide treatments when guest are over? No.
15. Do you have a G tube? No.
16. How could doing your treatments/meds be improved? I don't know that it's possible, our biggest complaint is time.
- What would make it easier for you to do your treatments? Some type of rolling storage would be pretty groovy.
17. Do you have any problems with how you do your treatment or store them now? The amount of space.
18. Any other suggestions or comments? Thanks for doing this, looking forward to seeing what you come up with! (Low-cost would be nice, btw!)

 

[Aboveallislove]

1. Do you have CF? No. 4 year old son
- When were you diagnosed? 12 days old
2. Are you on inhaled meds? Yes
- If yes, which ones? Xopenex, hyper sal, pulmozyme, qvar
3. How long does it take to do full treatment? 30-60 minutes depending on how he tolerates the vest
4. How many times a day do you do it? 2
5. Do you use the vest or acapella? Vest
- Which brand and version of vest do you have? Smart vest
6. Which neb machine do you have? Invacare 50 psi
7. How many oral med bottles do you have roughly? 3
8. How do you store your vest and neb machine now? Sits out in living room on floor and side table.
9. Where do you usually do your treatments? Living room
10. Do you change location of treatments often? No
11. Do you travel a lot? No
12. How do you transport all treatments/meds? Square laundry baskets and canvas square storage bins so can be kept in it wherever we are
13. How do you clean your nebs? Every 5 or 6 days we run a load of about 18 through the dishwasher in baskets, shaking and rerunning to get soap out...only nebs no dirty dishes. Then we boil for ten minutes.
- Where do you dry them? In the dining room on a plate with a bleached cloth diaper for drip drying.
- Where do you store them? Dining room for clean...bin in kitchen for dirty
14. Do you hide treatments when guest are over? No
15. Do you have a G tube? No
16. How could doing your treatments/meds be improved? Use disposable nebs daily...
- What would make it easier for you to do your treatments?
17. Do you have any problems with how you do your treatment or store them now? No.
18. Any other suggestions or comments? Remember with kids the meds need to be out of reach too...learns that the arc way with hyper sal which I left by compressor because not dangerous...but sure fun to squirt all the vials on the carpet!

 

[vberl]

1. Do you have CF? Yes
- When were you diagnosed? 43 years ago
2. Are you on inhaled meds? Yes
- If yes, which ones? Tobi, Colistin,
Pulmozyme, Hypertonic saline solution
3. How long does it take to do full treatment? 5 hours a day
4. How many times a day do you do it? twice
5. Do you use the vest or acapella? Cornet
- Which brand and version of vest do you have? Don't have
6. Which neb machine do you have? De Vilbis Pulmo Aid
7. How many oral med bottles do you have roughly? A lot of boxes, many cans and a few bottles
8. How do you store your vest and neb machine now? Beside my bed
9. Where do you usually do your treatments? Bedroom or Bathroom
10. Do you change location of treatments often? Yes
11. Do you travel a lot? Sometimes
12. How do you transport all treatments/meds? In a bag
13. How do you clean your nebs? I wash and boil them at home
- Where do you dry them? On the kitchen counter
- Where do you store them? On the kitchen counter
14. Do you hide treatments when guest are over? Yes
15. Do you have a G tube? No
16. How could doing your treatments/meds be improved?- What would make it easier for you to do your treatments? Having all my meds, nebulizers, etc in the same place. In a safe, dry box or something that I can take wherever I need it. I don't like to see meds, nebulizer, etc all over the house.
17. Do you have any problems with how you do your treatment or store them now? I'd like to control stock easily. Secondly, can you consider meds that require cold storage, too?
18. Any other suggestions or comments? I also have a Bipap and an oxygen concentrator. They take up a lot of space. Love your idea, good luck!

 

[rubyroselee]

Neat!

1. Do you have CF? Yes
- When were you diagnosed? Birth
2. Are you on inhaled meds? Yes
- If yes, which ones? Hypertonic saline, Cayston, Tobramycin, Pulmozyme
3. How long does it take to do full treatment? 30-40 mins
4. How many times a day do you do it? 2
5. Do you use the vest or acapella? Vest
- Which brand and version of vest do you have? Hillrom
6. Which neb machine do you have? Pari Vios
7. How many oral med bottles do you have roughly? If you count my entire stock (probably a couple months worth) that is located in 3 different cabinets, probably about 35
8. How do you store your vest and neb machine now? Vest is under computer desk; neb machines are on top of computer desk
9. Where do you usually do your treatments? At the computer desk
10. Do you change location of treatments often? No
11. Do you travel a lot? Occasionally
12. How do you transport all treatments/meds? Vest goes in it's own rolling travel bag; the rest goes in suitcase
13. How do you clean your nebs? Running water/soapy water, occasionally run them through dishwasher
- Where do you dry them? On a towel inside computer desk drawer
- Where do you store them? In computer desk drawer where they dry
14. Do you hide treatments when guest are over? Because nebs are already in drawer, I will sometimes just tidy up the machines a little so they're not sticking out everywhere
15. Do you have a G tube? No
16. How could doing your treatments/meds be improved? If all my meds and supplies could be in the same place (I have 4 locations for everything right now because of lack of storage space)
- What would make it easier for you to do your treatments? I feel my treatment area is pretty good right now, but it would be better to have an area to store everything better
17. Do you have any problems with how you do your treatment or store them now? Yes, my stuff is in too many places!
18. Any other suggestions or comments Good luck!

 

[randomgirl]

1. Do you have CF? Yes.
- When were you diagnosed? Before I was born...a.k.a. in utero.
2. Are you on inhaled meds? Yes, but only when I need them.
- If yes, which ones? Combination of Ipratropium Bromide .02% and Levalbuterol HCl. Then sometimes Hypersal 7%.
3. How long does it take to do full treatment? The combo and saline usually take about 20 min. each.
4. How many times a day do you do it? When I'm coughing more than usual then maybe once or twice. Otherwise, I rarely do it.
5. Do you use the vest or acapella? Not anymore.
- Which brand and version of vest do you have?
6. Which neb machine do you have? Omron comp air
7. How many oral med bottles do you have roughly? 21 (not counting medications that take up more than 1 bottle)
8. How do you store your vest and neb machine now? Neb machine is under bed on top of container.
9. Where do you usually do your treatments? On my bed or at my desk.
10. Do you change location of treatments often? No.
11. Do you travel a lot? No.
12. How do you transport all treatments/meds? Medicine bottles are in big plastic box. Pills are in a weekly container pill box with 4 slots for each day. Extra enzyme bottle always in purse and backpack.
13. How do you clean your nebs? Rinse with water after each use. Occasionally put them in boiling water for a few minutes.
- Where do you dry them? I just use a paper towel.
- Where do you store them? In a plastic baggie on a shelf.
14. Do you hide treatments when guest are over? If I had guests then I probably wouldn't.
15. Do you have a G tube? No.
16. How could doing your treatments/meds be improved? It would be cool if the inhaled treatments would go faster. Or maybe if the machine was less loud. Or maybe a retractable neb tube so it wouldn't accidently touch the floor.
- What would make it easier for you to do your treatments? If I didn't have to worry about cleaning the nebs so much.
17. Do you have any problems with how you do your treatment or store them now? I have to place machine on a towel or blanket so it doesn't make as much sound but I wouldn't consider that a real problem.
18. Any other suggestions or comments? The reason I rarely do my inhaled treatments is because I had a transplant back in 2012. But for 24 years, I did them pretty much every day (usually twice a day).

Good luck!

 

[Taylor Hayes]

Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update but my final is done! Check it out I updated the original post! Thanks again for everyone opinion I could have not done it without you!